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Last Call at the Big Picture
category:Classic OtherSpace Logs Docking Bay A cramped docking bay, barely large enough to accommodate a scout ship or two, it is clearly a facility where vessels are meant to stop briefly, drop off supplies or personnel, and then depart with haste. The bulkheads are constructed of a transparent metallic alloy that most likely contributes to the station's sensor-masking characteristics. Through the walls, beyond the twists of conduit, electronics and water pipes, lie the stars, with the tormented roil of Earth's surface to port and the pitted gray surface of Luna to starboard. A heavy door, closed and locked and guarded by four remote-op laser cannons, glows in the illumination of two bright spotlights. The door, unlike the bulkheads, is not transparent. It is unclear what lies beyond it. The white medkit is just sitting near the base of the ramp of the Minerva, its owner no where to be seen ... at first. Its a second glance that finds her, sitting on the deck, between two cargo containers, knees drawn tight to her chest, eyes closed tights, arms wrapped about her legs so strong. The sound of her breath is an even pattern, too even, as if she were consciouslly thinking of each inhalation and exhallation. Tarkovsky strides out from the corridor, a growl and a snarl still upon her face. She makes a direct line for the Mienrva, until she notices the medkit. Her eyes linger on it a moment, then she comes to a stop and slowly turns, seeking the one she last saw with it. Spotting Innokentevna, she approaches the woman, halting at the edge of the crates. "Ekaterina?" she calls, softly. Innokentevna is still for a moment, before she rests her head on the side of one of the containers. There's a stillness as she looks up, hazel eyes dark, the shadow from the Minerva's lights casting her in darkness. "Da ... eets me." there's a pause then, and she untangles one arm, so she can look at her right hand. "All ... all ov me." Tarkovsky sinks into a crouch, bringing herself more onto the same level as Innokentevna. "That's good," she answers quietly. "I... I recognised what happened to you in there. I have similar... things... myself. I'm glad to see you could find your back again." Innokentevna closes her eyes. "Four ... fife hours ... stolen from me, oh ..." She just shivers and hugs herself. "Gone .. a hole een my life. I got no more holes nov. I vas lost unteel I heart zomeone call my name." She slams her head sideways, and the crate rings, as if she were trying to prove to hersef she is real. "I to nyi knov vhich ees vorse .... knovink vhat happen't ... or knovink ...zey ... zat he .. zat he broke me." A moment frozen, then Christine sinks sideways to lean against the container. Her legs slip out from underneath her, leaving her sitting there awkwardly. "I've asked that question a lot," she says slowly. She lifts a hand to tap a finger against her temple. "I'm cursed, you see... perfect memory. Never forget /anything/ and... there's a lot now, I'd like to... well, I wonder. Is it better to not know or to... have to cope with knowing, every day." She looks across, her eyes seeking Innokentevna's. "I... I know. What you're feeling." She swallows, once. "On Earth... in that work camp... They broke me. And... it didn't take very long." Innokentevna looks back to christine. "Fife hours ... " She just looks forward, now resting her head against the crate. "So I'm broken." There's short chuff of breath. "I ... I vunter, eef Porter heart a vort I sait. I got my fife hours bck. No vendetta. But he deedn't seem to hear." She looks out to the stars. "Dama Tarkovsky, vhat zey deet to me toesn't matter. Eets just me, one ungstiri. One useless deyvachka." She turns her head to look to the other woman, "Vhat happen't to me toesn't matter ... vhat *toes* matter, vhat toes matter, ees at eet nefer happens to anyone else efer again. To you ... to you at least unterstant?" "A lot of people weren't really listening at the end there," Christine answers, casting a momentary glance back to the corridor. "Squabbling over a camera, for gods sake." She shakes her head, looking back to the other woman. "You're wrong. What is done is one person is important. But yes, I know what you mean. Trying to make sure it can't happen again..." She pauses a moment, thinking. "It's a worthy thing to try. Never is a long time though. I mean, even if Neidermeyer, that Thul could be caught... in time there will be another. And another. History... is full of them. Always they come back." Volidana arrives from Access Corridor . Vollerkin arrives from Access Corridor . Daneel exits from the Minerva, sans Torch. Tarkovsky is sitting slumped against a cargo crate, talking quietly with Innokentevna who sits wedged between it and its neighbouring crate. Daneel wanders over to where the ladies sit. "May I join you?" Daneel carries a MRE with a heat pack. Volidana comes walking slowly out of the corridor and halts when she spies katya "my friend how are you?" Innokentevna shrugs her shoulers as she listens to tarkovsky speak. "Zat ees all zee reason more. All zee reason more. Cause zee moment, zee moment ve stop, all zose ozers, they win." She just looksup, between Christine and Daneel. "An ve can nyi let zat happen." She lets her gaze then turn to the engineer. "Please, least ve can to ... all tinks consiter't ..." And to Volidana she just nods, words quiet. "I shall surfife." Vollerkin follows Volidana, his aura containing a tint of orange. He halts, and watches silently now. Daneel sits down and activates the heatpak for the MRE Giirvoth arrives from Access Corridor . Zetral arrives from Access Corridor . Daneel is sitting across from two females, warming a MRE. "They win," Christine echoes softly, shaking her head once more. "This isn't a movie. This isn't a thrilling story with a happy ending where the good guys win and the bad guys lose." She pauses a moment, looking across to Innokentevna. "I like your determination though. To fight all the way, regardless." Giirvoth limps out from the corridor, tucking a spoon into one of his webbing pouches as he moves along. Volidana stands near the three others watching with vollerkin Daneel says, "I agree, this isn't a movie. But evil cannot win all of the time. If we never stop fighting, they will eventually lose." Daneel waits for a color indicator to change. When it does, he opens the meal and removes some utensils from a pocket. Innokentevna lets her head rest against the metal crate, looking out to the stars. "Da. Only one vay to go, forvart, Christine." She just looks out to the stars. "Da ... I knov no mofie, no scriptvriters or copyedeetors makink eet all right een zee ent. But zat'z nyi vhat ees eemportant. Vhat eemportant ees only zat you try. Da ... Shog an hees toctor tore me to shrets ...." She hugs herself tightly. "No reason to let zem beat me, een zee ent. Meanvhile ... meanvhile ..." She sniffs. She looks up. She looks to Daneel. "Zat .. zat better be vhat you really, you really vant?" Volidana nods "We will not stop because evil deep consuming evil only exists in a very few beings...the rest struggle daily towards good and peace...i do not understand those who resent that redeeming quality and try to destroy it...i used not believe in evil...that everyone's spirit could be saved but i have lived to look in a face where no remorse exists that rejects all notion of the innate goodness with which volir endowed it and i will not stand by and let them destroy others Daneel looks over to the Ungstiri. "It isn't a matter of what I want. Let me tell you a story about the past, and maybe you will understand why." Giirvoth finishes tucking the fork away, then shrugs slightly to himself and starts to slowly limp towards the others, his tail flicking slowly behind him. Vollerkin glances to each gathered individualy, then takes a step back, before turning and walking to the other side of the shuttle bay. He then turns, and lowers himself onto the decking, folding his legs and closing his eyes as he steeples his fingers. "It only takes one," Christine says quietly. "One who is in a powerful place. And many, many people suffer and die..." Her voice catches as she looks to the side, out through the transparent hull to where Earth hangs amongst the stars. She lifts a hand to point it out. "Nine billion lives. Nine billion premediated murders. By one man. Neidermeyer." She stares at the planet for a moment longer before looking back to Innokentevna. "If we can work out where Neidermeyer went... I want to make him pay for that. And... what went before as well. When he tore me to shreds..." She takes a deep breath. "There's an ancient saying, Arabian, I think. Better to die in revenge than live on in shame." Innokentevna looks up to Daneel still, a brow perked. "Go aheat, I'm listenink, da? Better be goot or I am goink to ransack Genive's kitchen to geet you a real meal." Innokentevna looks to Christine, meeting her gaze quietly. "Fazer alvays tolt me, go seekink revenge deeg tvo graves, da?" She swallows then, letting her gaze fall across the deckplates and out to the stars beneath. "I hat my taste for revenge yank't out ov me, tonite." Daneel says, "When I was an engineer on the Telltale Heart, which was owned by a exploration group much like the Minerva behind us, I met a man named Cottington. Now, this was in the days just before the first Krentonian invasion, and so Mr. Cottington was in desperate need of engineers to get Sanctuary running in time to flee. When Ungstir was attacked, I took it upon myself to get Sanctuary going. Thats how I got to be the Chief Engineer of Sanctuary." Daneel says, "But that isn't really the story I have to tell, thats just background." Innokentevna nods quiety, "Da ... my Fazer bought time for Cottinkton, an me an my familee vere on zee sheep." Daneel says, "During that time, I had a burning hatred of the Odarites. I despised them because they had killed my parents in a accident that they couldn't have prevented." Zetral takes a deep breathe, and then settles down with Daneel and the others, listening. In his hand, he holds a decent sized hip flask in his hand. Giirvoth shifts his weight to his left leg as he stops on the edge of the group, then bobs his snout slightly and just listens, his tail shifting occasionaly. Tarkovsky nods a little to Innokentevna's words, but makes no reply this time. Her eyes are drawn back to Earth, pain clouding her eyes as she watches the distant world. She pushes herself slowly to her feet, tearing her eyes away from it. "I'm going to try to snatch a few minutes sleep," she mutters, not to anyone in particular. Then she turns away and trudges up the Minerva's ramp. Vollerkin continues to sit alone, eyes closed as he sits perfectly still. After a while, the orange tint in his aura dissapears as the same dull silver glow takes over. Tarkovsky heads into Shuttle Bay . Daneel says, "I had met the Odarite member of the council, a wise being that was going to have people from his planet come on board the Station so that they could survive. He was a good fellow, but I felt compelled to gripe at him for no reason." Innokentevna looks between Daneel and his MRE, "Zeese toes nyi seem to be heatink tovarts vhy you are eatink fielt rashuns." Daneel says, "I'll be getting to that part soon." Volidana gives daneel her full atention Daneel says, "Then, when the Kretonians came, I watched as Acran's (that's what his name was) ship was the first to rise against the Kretonians and buy Sanctuary time to escape. I watched them slice his ship in two and blow up both halves while I looked on. From that point on, I have been looking for a way to pay him back for that remark I made." Daneel says, "So now, I've found a way. He gave his life, so that I could give mine. There are more important things in this life than holoviewers, or whether you'll get the big paycheck. I've done it all in my lifetime. I've discovered black holes, charted nebulae, rebuilt and Otherspace Drive from scratch. but I have never really sacrificed my safety to protect others, That, is one reason of many, that I have to do this." Zetral heads into Shuttle Bay . Innokentevna lowers her head, looking out to the stars again, quiet. "Da ... but zee least ve can do ees geet you a goot meal." She looks out to the stars, watching them glitter. "Eengeeneer ... I shall say one theenk. One nefer knovs vheat turns zee fates hafe een store for us, zo unteell I see zee boty, vhen I valk Sanctuary's correetors, maybe you'll be rount zee corner." Daneel smiles. "Perhaps I will be. As you say, one never knows what fate has in store." Giirvoth hisses quietly to himself. "One thing, the Ssentauran did esscape from thiss mine ssshaft lasst time, hasss anyone actualy though to assk how thiss was done? Posssibly to repeat it?" Daneel shakes his head. "The Centauran didn't initiate the first moebius effect voluntarily. They used the teleporter to go to the shaft and activate it. That teleporter has only one shot left." Innokentevna smiles quietly, "Just remember, vhen you cut zee Moebius streep, cut eet lengthvish an nyi across, da?" Daneel nods. "I'll make sure to do it right." Volidana nods "Even if i had such a conviction that it was my calling...i would still have fear but perhaps if what i've been taught from childhood is true your folks will be waiting to guide you home as we wait to welcome you back...either way you'll have warm arms to fall into" Daneel chuckles. "Oh. I still fear death. And I fully intend on trying to get my ass out of there. But if it is the price of saving billions, I'm game." Innokentevna doesn't raise her head, but she speaks a simple word, just one. For Daneel. "Spasiba." Daneel nods. "Thank you as well." Innokentevna shrugs her shoulders quietly. "I am just a fancy cargo hauler, an I patch up grimlahdi." her words are just the truth, simple and pragmatic, no remorse. "I'll just keep lookink for you rount zee corners. Best I can to." Daneel chuckles. Innokentevna speaks quietly then, amidst her slow count ofthe stars. "You hafe familee?" Daneel chuckles. "Not in the biological sense. My parents died when I was eight, and I never married. My shipmates were my family." Innokentevna nods quietly. "I am sure zey veell knov ... you neet sometheenk sent back, leaf eet vith me. Zo maybe someone veell nyi vorry." She then takes a breath herself. me ... I hafe a fiancee. My reason, for surfifink zeese, one vay or anozer. Hoop. Sounts silly. Toink zeese for someone else." Daneel smiles, setting aside the now-cold and still untouched MRE. "Who is your fiance'?" Innokentevna leans her head back against the crate, smiling then, a true, true smile. "She ees a specialeest. Name ov Meloty. I met her on zee Meenerfa, vhen I hat zat Thul firus. She ees so smart, so brite, you can tell, each vort she speaks, een zee shine ov her eyes. Vhen I coult nyi see zee stars, she brought zem to me. Feerst nite I just stay't up teell davn, just talkink, just talkink." Daneel smiles. "I wish you the best. May you both live until the end of your days together." Innokentevna nods, quite seriously. "Vell zat ees vhy I am here. Zo she veell hafe more zan just a hantful ov tays, da?" Daneel replies seriously. "Da. And I came here to make sure that Acran's sacrifice didn't go in vain." Innokentevna looks out to the stars, quiet. "My Fazer, he vas on zee Tempest. Gunnery offeecer." She smiles at a memory, now gone. "You keep hees honor too." Daneel nods. "You know what, why don't we head into the ship. I feel the urge to slug a large glass of something old." Innokentevna chuckles softly as she pulls herself up, slipping her hands deep into her pockets. "I vish ve deedn't leaf zee Gray Horse on Luna ... got a case ov Russkaya on her. Nothink better for a toast zan ungstiri wodka." She slowly follow Daneel. Daneel grins. "There is one better. old Scottish Scotch." Daneel stands and enters the ship. Mess Hall - Minerva - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The starship's mess hall is a large chamber broken into two distinct sections. The largest section consists of the galley, where cooks assigned to the vessel prepare meals for the masses - and where crew that are in dutch with their senior officers often spend time cleaning dishes, cutting vegetables or serving their crewmates, and the rows of tables and benches arranged in neat lines. The secondary section is an "off-duty" pub called The Big Picture - a name earned by the expansive window that takes up most of the bulkhead section along the starboard hull. The tavern, open only during ship's evening hours, features several tables and booths arranged around a horseshoe-shaped serving counter that carries (in a securely locked group of cabinets) an extensive variety of liquor from throughout the known worlds. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Tcha ... zat ees nyi sometheenk to say to a rock gal." But she easily follows Daneel into the ship. Daneel heads over to the bar, and opens the dry storage. "We've got cheap vodka and cheaper whiskey," Daneel chuckles. "But I only say it because its older than me." Innokentevna looks into the storage crate and shakes her head. "Petrov ... an varm. Vhen veell zey efer lesten to me." She snares one of the vodka bottles and shoves it into the freezer. Daneel shakes his head. "Some people never learn." Innokentevna laughs and sits on the counter, waiting for her drink to cool. "That vhiskey olt enough for you?" Daneel shakes his head. "I'm older than the bottle. Never drink whiskey thats younger than you." Innokentevna reaches down to the freezer then, and takes out the bottle and ... two frosted root beer mugs. She looks at the mugs suspisciously and then turns to Daneel, "vell, atleast zey are colt, da? Daneel chuckles. "True." Innokentevna pours out a fingerfull of vodka into each mug and slides one across to Daneel. "Zere you goezz ... eets nyi a matter ov hov olt, for vodka, just hov much keeck eet has." Daneel says, "Tell you what. Just so you have the right to say that you've tasted good scotch, when this is over, head back to Sanctuary, and in my desk drawer at the energy production area, is a bottle of original scotch. Yours."" Daneel nods, and takes a shot of it into his mouth. Innokentevna nods solemnly. "Da ... zough maybe ve shall be racink to see who geets to eet feerst." She then pauses, looking across to the engineer. She considers, for a long moemnt and then raises her glass. "Vhen ve vere young, my brozer, me an he, voult look out from our corritor, to count zee stars. An he vult tell me, tales ov zhose he hat met, an zee places he hat valk't. Once ... once he came to zee Forest, an een eets shatovs he deet tare. Unteel he came to a britge, a britge een zee mittle ov zee voots. Vhen he got to zee mittle he look't aheat, he look't aheat an sav a volk, a vulf facink heem. He look't behint, an zere vas anozer volk behint heem, another vulf vith fangs sharp an brite. Zey just smile't knovink zey hat my brozer trapp't. Two vulfs, one brother. Unteel zen he turn't an kept on goink. Right eento zee javs ov zee one aheat. Zee fight vas terreeble, an echoe't through zee dread Forest." She takes a breath and looks across to Daneel. "I ask't heem, vhy ... vhy deet he go forvart, vhere he knev a vulf vas. My brozer just smile't an sait 'Because eef I hat gone back, I knev zere vas a vulf avaitink, an nothink voult be gain't ... eef I vait'ton zee britge for someone to safe me, I voult be eaten nyi by one but tvo hungry volk vhile I vait't for salvashun ... goink forvart ... da, zere vas a vulf een my path. But beyont .. beyont vas zee roat zat took me home to you." She downs the glass, swallowing the vodka in a single draught. "To your roat home, Daneel. To your roat home." Daneel ponders that for a moment. "To the road home." Innokentevna sets down her empty glass, leaving the bottle of vodka open ... a silent sentinel against the dark. She pushes herself off the counter, a touch of her hand on Daneel's shoulder, a shrug, and then a slow walk out ... to the next day, to the Forest.